


Facade

by gulpereel



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Affairs, Alcohol, Character Death, M/M, Murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:38:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6271900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gulpereel/pseuds/gulpereel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU where Kirei goes to study under Tokiomi under the suggestion of his father. It seems fine until he meets Gilgamesh - Tokiomi's kept paramour - and murder may or may not happen. Cu is also a gardener who wants nothing to do with this shit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bad at titles okay. Late night writing yet again and not beta read but I got lots of ideas for this one even if the concept is a little weird. First chapter is also just mostly set up but anyway, hope you enjoy!

At first glance, he was beautiful. His hair was golden, natural and soft looking, framing his face almost perfectly. His eyes were unusual in colour, holding a spark of playfulness but something else more mysterious, something intriguing. His mouth was often in a sneer or a lazy smirk but looked soft and inviting no matter what face he was making. His body was slim but had muscle, the body stream lined and perfect, a good height and good proportion, his clothes doing nothing to hide what he was clearly proud of.  
  
He truly was beautiful, but if Kirei had to really compare it to anything it'd be a poisonous snake.  
  
The fact that Gilgamesh favoured snake skin prints in his wardrobe didn't help the idea either.  
  
Kotomine had met Gilgamesh exactly two weeks ago and those were his first thoughts. His father had arranged for Kirei to study under a philosopher and professor of the name Tohsaka Tokiomi, the man being a friend of his father. He had been told that even if he was a priest, knowledge and studying would be something to aspire to no matter his age, that having this chance to live and learn under this man would broaden his horizons. Kirei wasn't sure if this was truly his fathers intentions or that he just wanted Kirei to leave the church for a bit, to take a break, to meet new people and have something else to do. His father certainly worried too much - his wife had died a year ago, there was no real reason to be acting this way towards him but Kotomine accepted his fathers wishes regardless.  
  
His first impressions of Tokiomi was that he was a regal man, each mannerism elegant and gentlemanly. He also truly loved the sound of his own voice and his arrogance was apparent even within the first meeting. This man lived a lavish life and seemingly had since he was a child - Kirei had been taken to a second house that Tokiomi had explained was for his research and writing, his own little safe haven as he called it. Little was an understatement, it was still a fine two story house that was more on the mansion side of things than a typical family home. Kirei wasn't one to be impressed by grandiose but the change of surroundings were not too disagreeable, the house decorated lavishly though balancing on the edge of becoming tacky.  
  
The other reason of why Tokiomi had this separate house from his wife and daughters became apparent in the first evening there. Kotomine had placed his few belongings in the guest room he would be staying in and had joined Tohsaka for dinner - it had been prepared by someone else, artful in it's presentation and expertly cooked meat with a perfectly selected wine to match.  
  
About half way through the dinner, Gilgamesh had showed up.  
  
He had sauntered into the room with natural ease, his coat of white and fur ended up placed behind the back of a chair within moments. Underneath revealed a shirt that dipped low in the cut, made out of a thin but high quality material which was paired with tight skinny jeans, in black with a snake texture visible in the light. From his neck hung a pendant necklace, a red stone landing on his chest attached to what was probably a genuine gold chain. His wrist was encased in a bracelet with a similar decoration, red precious stones and gold to inset them. Faintly, he could see the lines of a belly piercing underneath the thin shirt, a tinge of red under the white.  
  
Tokiomi had introduced Gilgamesh as another student - Kotomine was almost offended that he was taken that much of a fool.  
  
Briefly he wonders if his father knows that his life long, respected friend had such a shameless male paramour hidden away but the thought was amusing and without much fanfare, he shook Gilgamesh's hand and went back to eating.  
  
He went to bed that evening thinking that this 'break' was going to be more interesting than he had initially thought and he allowed himself a rare smile in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two, now more content. Late night and not beta read, still hope you enjoy!

"Kotomine," Gilgamesh starts, his voice lovely and smooth to the ears yet annoying in the way it was demanding attention, "Kotomine, put down the book and come over here."  
  
Gilgamesh had made himself comfy on the sofa within the room - it wasn't quite a study neither was it completely a library but Kirei had taken up reading in there finding the room comfortable. There was an authentic fireplace which he had taken to setting up a fire in now and then, the room becoming a nice sanctuary in the evenings during the current Autumn. Gilgamesh hadn't waited long to start harassing him, it had only been nearly a week now and somehow it's become a routine, that this room had become Gilgamesh's favourite room to be in whenever he clearly had the time and knew Kirei would be around.   
  
Much like usual, Gil made it seemed like he had been the first one there and Kirei was merely just a guest he was allowing in the same space as him. He lounged lengthwise on the sofa he tended to favour, a bottle of wine placed on the coffee table nearby, a half empty glass in his hand. He was gesturing to the chair that was placed nearby the sofa, an old thing yet still comfortable and cozy.   
  
"Kirei, I don't like repeating myself, you should have a break, ignoring me isn't polite," Gilgamesh warns with a small pout which turns into a sly grin as Kirei gives a dramatic sigh before coming over. He places a book mark within the page he was reading before placing it on the table near the bottle of wine. Gilgamesh is quick to change position and start pouring out another glass for Kirei. Even though Gilgamesh harassing him wasn't new, Gilgamesh hadn't been this annoying before and tended to get bored quickly, leaving when he realized Kirei wasn't going to budge. The fact that Gilgamesh seemed extra determined to grab his attention was the only reason Kirei decided to humour the other man this time.   
  
"It's already 11pm, being studious isn't a bad thing but it'll make you dull for sure," he hands over the glass of wine, his hand touching Kirei's more than it probably needed to.   
  
"What if I'm already dull?"   
  
"I don't think you are - I think that's just a front."   
  
Their eyes meet and hold as Kirei takes a sip from the wine glass. It was a good wine, a deep blood like red with strong ripe flavors, hints of spice and mocha. It was tasteful and considered. Kotomine could only deduce that his initial thoughts of the man being shallow and tacky were perhaps wrong.  After all he was already beginning to speculate that even if Gilgamesh was a male mistress he was sharp with intellect hiding behind the lazy and erotic flair he exuded. Still though, it was too early to play his cards.   
  
"Why are you here? You're right, it's 11pm, don't you have a bed to warm?"   
  
"Ouch, straight to the point. I guess Tohsaka isn't really as subtle as he thinks," Gilgamesh makes a mocked hurt face before sipping at his own glass, "regardless, he doesn't seem to want my services tonight. Perhaps he had a phone call from his wife earlier, that tends to make my evening less eventful, which explains why I am here. I'm bored."   
  
"You won't exactly find entertainment through me, Gilgamesh," replies Kirei and it isn't lie. He doesn't believe he'd be entertaining to Gilgamesh at all - this man clearly enjoyed getting reactions and rises from people, two things that Kotomine wouldn't really associate himself with.   
  
"We'll see about that. I can already tell you have a lot of questions to ask, I'll answer them you know. I don't get many partners for conversation these days, or at least partners that I want to listen to."   
  
"I truly have no burning desire to know any answers. What you and Tohsaka are involved with is nothing for me to care about," this time it is a lie but the questions he truly wanted the answers to wouldn't have been polite to ask. Even if Gilgamesh had a lack of manners Kotomine wasn't going to lower himself to meet the same standard.   
  
"Hmph, fine, you're a priest, I should've suspected you'd be a hard facade to crack. All that religious guilt and probably suffocating upbringing seems to mess around with peoples ability to express their desires freely, a little saddening, don't you think?" At this point Kotomine realizes that Gilgamesh probably loves the sound of his own voice much like his master. With Tokiomi disposed and no one else but the maids, he was going be Gilgamesh's target, he was going to have to listen or find an excuse to leave. Years of confessional experiences however kept him in the chair, kept him seemingly relaxed while finishing off the glass of wine.   
  
"I was perfectly happy with my upbringing and there is no facade to crack. I am just here to study, Gilgamesh. Not everyone is as complicated as you seemingly are," he didn't mean to add the last comment but he couldn't stop himself. It was giving Gilgamesh the tiniest of inches, telling Gilgamesh that he was indeed curious but honestly what human being wouldn't be? Tokiomi was a somewhat upstanding gentleman, he was rich and intelligent with a continuous promising future and not completely hideous but still, Gilgamesh just didn't fit the picture. There obviously had to be something more - the question Kirei had to ask himself is if he wanted to know and get tangled in this spider web or leave the house and forget that these two never existed.   
  
He knew what he should decide but he also knew what his heart truly desired.   
  
"Oh, I'm not complicated. I love money and sex, I thought that was already quite clear or are you stupider than I assumed? Would I have to spell out what my intentions towards you are too?"   
  
"And what are those intentions?"  
  
In that moment Gilgamesh just laughs and downs the rest of his wine before putting the glass on the table. With a lazy grace he gets up from the sofa, still chuckling a little as he meets Kirei's eyes, Gilgamesh looking downwards at him.   
  
"I look forward to our next evening together, Kotomine," with that, he's gone and Kotomine takes a moment to contemplate the empty wine glass in his hand before making a decision. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Who knew this would get updated? I certainly didn't. Anyway, late night rambles but a much longer chapter than the others. This time it's featuring Cú the distressed gardener and plot. If you wanna talk to me about any of my writing, drop me a DM at @gulpereelcos on twitter~

In the Tohsaka side household Kotomine come to understand there was him, Gilgamesh, Tohsaka, a couple of house staff, a cook and a gardener. 

Said gardener was actually around quite often but it wasn't too surprising, the grounds of the large house were just as grand as the building itself. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume it was a full time operation maintaining them to a certain standard. What was getting to Kirei however was the nature of said gardener and the fact that blue hair would sometimes catch his eye from a window. Sometimes blue hair was joined with blonde and that was even more concerning. 

The gardener was young, fit, attractive in some ways and Kirei had to wonder if it was another one of Tohsaka's little secrets. He had none of the same flare that Gilgamesh had however and compared to Gilgamesh, it seemed the gardener actually did some work. Perhaps this man truly was just a gardener but from how often Kotomine would see him interacting with Gilgamesh he had to wonder if this man was also hired as a distraction for the blonde. 

Kirei meets him a little later in the week and with a firm handshake, he discovers the man is named Cú Chulainn. 

Later in the evening, with Gilgamesh spread across the sofa like no bones existed in his body, he also discovers that Cú Chulainn is fucking Gilgamesh on and off. 

"Tohsaka allows this?" Kirei can't help but question, feeling like he's lost another battle by appeasing Gilgamesh's attempt at drawing his attention and questions. At least this time he's still at the desk and refused the glass of wine poured for him without Gilgamesh even asking. 

"Allow is not quite the word, tolerates maybe? Irritated by but not actually able to stop? I know he definitely see's it as a nuisance but a necessary evil perhaps," Gilgamesh replies in a relaxed tone, the wine clearly already taking effect ever so slightly. "He's attempted certain things to try and deter us but otherwise I think he understands that Cú is quite important." 

"He's the gardener, there's plenty of gardeners out there."

"Excellent observation, but Cú is a lot more than just a gardener. How long do you think I've been here? Go on, guess."

"It'd be easier to just tell me." 

"Ah, I almost forgot, you have no sense of fun, but, fine," he gives a small sigh, shifting to sit up on the sofa a little if only because the previous position seemed precarious to drink wine in. "I've been here since I was 19, I'm 23 now," he pauses for effect, as to let the information register with Kirei and to let him react. 

Kirei doesn't really exactly react but he allows a raise of an eyebrow and he does in fact put that information into a neat, mental folder.

"A paid for friend, then?" Kirei eventually settles on replying, knowing he could just stop the conversation but it was somewhat interesting to learn the politics of the household. 

"Essentially. Or well, Cú really did just start out as a gardener but things changed and I discovered he had a huge dick," Kotomine knows the last statement was probably to get a rise out of him but he merely flicks to a new page in the book within his hands. 

"If you're satisfied, I have to ask why you're still trying to catch my attention then."

"The same two men for the past 4 years is boring, Kotomine, I thought that would be obvious," Gilgamesh replies back in a way that it really should've been obvious and that explaining it was a chore. Kirei catches Gilgamesh finishing off his glass of wine in the corner of his eye but looks up fully when he notices Gilgamesh standing up and heading his way. 

"You could leave, the security isn't all that," Kirei states back and it's not a lie, the security was more lax than he was suspecting but the house was a little out of the way. 

"Oh, I know I could just walk out the front door but then what? Walk towards the nearest town with nothing?"

"You seem to have enough of an allowance."

"That's cute, that you think I have an allowance," by that point, Gilgamesh was sitting on the edge of the desk close to where Kirei was. It was a little alarming how close but also alluring. From the distance he could see each detail of Gilgamesh's outfit, could see the shape of the piercings under the black, branded t shirt that was covered in intricate golden designs, reminding Kirei of royalty and opulence. He could see how the black jeans clung to Gilgamesh's legs in a manner that was both tight yet still fitted and Kirei couldn't help but wonder what the material felt like. 

Instead of being tempted, Kirei looked up into Gilgamesh's eyes instead, feeling like he'd lost another battle of ignoring the blonde. 

"Tokiomi takes me out to shop now and then and lets me order shit online but that's about it," Gilgamesh expands. "If it's frivolous, he won't deny me it. A bank card to my own name however is another story." 

Kirei allows a few moments of silence to pass before giving in.

"Sorry but, have you been kidnapped?" 

Gilgamesh bursts into laughter from that and Kirei ends up so distracted by the sound and hollowness of it that he doesn't notice Gilgamesh moving in closer. 

Closer and closer until he feels the laughter dying out by his ear. 

"I ask myself that question everyday," Gilgamesh quietly reveals in a whisper and Kotomine can't help but feel a sense if disappointment when Gilgamesh exits the room as quickly as he'd entered.

\---

Somehow, mostly through curiosity, Kotomine ended up talking with Cú yet again. 

It was near the end of the day, Cú had seemingly packed up some tools before sitting down on one of the few wooden and metal benches placed in the garden. The summer caused the evening to be warm and stil terribly bright for it's time but it allowed Kirei to observe from far away easily enough. Eventually, as Cú was lighting up a cigarette, Kirei approached, perhaps a little rudely but he didn't think the gardener was one to fuss over manners. 

As he approached, he saw a few emotions pass over the gardeners face but mostly it was confusion and perhaps this man didn't know what to quite make of him yet. 

Hopefully it'd stay that way. 

"Oi, ah, Kotomine, wasn't it? Want one?" Cú offers a cigarette from his back, seemingly trying to create an excuse for why Kirei was appearing out of nowhere. Kirei shook his head, continued to stand in front o the gardener, casting a slight shadow over the gardeners face.

"Uh, then whatcha want? Not to be rude or anything and I like priests and all, but I'm not good conversation." 

"I just have some questions, that's all."

"Questions, huh? Let me guess, they ain't about gardening."

"I'm sure your knowledge of the grounds is interesting but you are correct," Kirei sits down next to Cú on the bench and vaguely he spots a flash of blonde in a window before it disappearing. Cú takes a moment to seemingly seize up Kirei before sighing, taking a long drag on his cigarette. 

"Forget it. You don't want to know anything about these fucked up people, I'd say you should just leave as soon as possible," states Cú and it's said in such a world wary manner that Kirei considered taking the advice for a few seconds. 

"I'm beginning to feel like I'll be involved with these people regardless of my own preferences," Kirei replies back and it's the truth. Gilgamesh was not going to leave him alone. "I just felt like understanding the situation would be better. I don't want to cause any issues within my stay here." 

Not that he believes he's not going to cause issues or has already caused some already but it helped to have some reasoning for his questioning. Cú takes another drag before rubbing his face a little, obviously unsure what he should spill and what to keep in the dark. 

"How much has Gil told you then? He talks too much."

"That you two are involved, that he does not own anything himself, he's been here for 4 years and sexually involved with Tohsaka," Kotomine easily lists off his gathered bullet points surrounding Gilgamesh. What he thinks about each of them he'll keep to himself. 

"If you know all that, then why do you wanna ask me questions?"

"Knowing you two are involved, I assumed you'd know more about the reasoning's behind these topics," and at that Cú makes a slight face, like he's annoyed at someone and probably Gilgamesh. He takes another drag before putting out the cigarette on a metal area of the bench. 

"Look, we just fuck now and then okay and talk sometimes. I don't know much honestly, he's good at talking but bad at talking about anything that actually matters. I've asked questions before but he just gives some vague ass answer."

"He hasn't told you anything at all? Not even why he's staying here?"

"I asked him once and he just laughed and then said 'I'll leave when Tokiomi is 6 feet under' and it was kinda fucking creepy. I mean, I've talked to some other staff about it but most of them just told that one day Gil showed up with Tohsaka and that was it. Apparently he was pretty antisocial for a while though, mostly kept in his room. Other than that, it's just mostly been rumours?

"Rumours?"

"Yeah, mostly about Tohsaka. When Gil arrived, there were a bunch of rumours to try and explain why he'd picked up some whore out of no where, though I'm not really convinced he was actually ever one these days." Cú pauses for a moment to lean back against the bench, eyes looking up at the sunsetting sky. "At the time, there was a rumour that Tohsaka had given up one of his daughters to another family for 'studying' but the family was kinda skeevy and giving up your child like that is kinda fucked up anyway. Some people reckoned he got Gil to help deal with that but I don't think the kid issue would've mattered anyway, Tohsaka just seems obsessed either way." 

"Obsessed? Doesn't he let you get away with being with Gilgamesh? He seems to not care much," Kotomine can't help but question the information. It was all very interesting but not exactly trustworthy resources. Gossip and rumours were somewhat entertaining but usually wrong about the truth, however picking out some details would be handy for future conversations with the blonde for sure. Kirei couldn't help but feel a little amused, feeling like some sort of detective in novels piecing together a murder mystery and it was perhaps a rare experience he could even call fun. 

"Yeah, right now, it's fine, but sometimes things set Tohsaka off and he can be fucking weird for a few weeks and well, at the beginning he seemed pretty obsessed. It was like he was scared Gil was gonna run off any moment which I always thought was kind of weird if Gil is here out of his own choice, y'know? I think it's some kind of fucked up blackmail." 

Kirei can't help but raise an eyebrow.

He eventually thanks Cú for his time and as he walks back into the house he notices Gilgamesh watching from a window. 

\---

Later that night Kirei lays awake in bed.

The curtains are open along with the windows, the night warm but not quite yet uncomfortable. The moon is not at the full stage but bright, illuminating things here and there within the ornate room that he was still finding hard to get used to. There were many books in shelves that frankly he wondered if they were just bought for decoration rather than any real merit of interest, the bed larger than he was used to with for posters and drapery. The room was themed with reds and golds, elegant but perhaps a little tacky in it's opulence but fitting for Tohsaka. Overall, Kirei didn't think he'd miss his church abode but apparently even he could feel longing for something more minimalist. 

His thoughts about decor are interrupted by the door opening. 

It's not like it was locked but it causes him to sit up alarmed, eyes focusing in on the darker area of the room where a figure stood. 

Slowly the figure walked into the illuminated area by the window and Kirei is momentarily relieved before even more alarmed to discover it's a half naked Gilgamesh with blood dripping from his scalp. What's even more confusing is that the other man doesn't seems bothered by it at all, but the usual smirk or grin isn't to be found. 

"It'd be great if you tell me right now that you know first aid," Gilgamesh speaks out and the words seem loud in the quiet room. The only other sounds are the rustle of leaves and nature from outside. Kirei can't help but move out of the bed and meets Gilgamesh where he's standing, a hand coming up to feel at the blood and wound to gauge it's level of concern. 

Thankfully, and Kotomine wonders why he's feeling that sense of relief, it's nothing life threatening or too concerning. Merely a small cut that merely looked worse by blood standing out so stark against blonde locks. He stands there quietly looking it over but he knows he's become distracted by the feel of once soft hair soaked by drying wetness and Gilgamesh seems to not care. 

"How is it, priest? Am I going to need to say some prayers?" Gilgamesh asks and Kirei is perhaps glad to hear amusement in the others voice again.

"You'll be fine, it just needs a dressing."

"Don't you want to know how it happened?"

"Not exactly, but stopping you is useless."

"Ah, excellent, you're learning," he chuckles a little before continuing, "I said some things I shouldn't have said, he really pissed me off though. I told him that he should be grateful he even gets to put his dick up any hole these days, that he should be grateful that I hadn't touched you yet." As he spoke, Gilgamesh's hands slowly began to trail up Kirei's bare arms before wrapping over his shoulders, the blonde moving in to close the distance between them. Kotomine had a small moment of reminding himself that he should pull away, should stop Gilgamesh from uttering anything else but as he stared down into red pupils framed by red on pale skin, he couldn't help but be captivated. 

"He didn't like it I suppose, rough handled me a little to get some anger out but but I ended up hitting my head on the cabinet. Old furniture can be awfully sharp," he continues on and he's speaking much quieter now and Kirei knows it's too late to pull away. "Kirei, I'm getting to my limit."

Kotomine is surprised at the feeling of excitement he experiences hearing the ominous tone dripping from Gilgamesh's words.


End file.
